


Maybe I Need Some Rehab, Maybe I Need Some Sleep

by Squiggle_giggle



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Baby, Bad Parenting, Childhood, Daddy Mickey, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Parenthood, Toddlers, mentions of Terry Milkovich - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:54:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26537653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squiggle_giggle/pseuds/Squiggle_giggle
Summary: Mickey is tired, balancing a relationship, work, and a 14 month old baby, its a lot to handle. When Yevgeny is testing his patience, Mickey starts to wonder if Terry and his parenting styles are really that dissimilar.
Relationships: Ian Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich, Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Comments: 3
Kudos: 87





	Maybe I Need Some Rehab, Maybe I Need Some Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> So new story, I lost motivation towards the end of this story so I hope its not too terrible'
> 
> A lot has happened recently. I lost my job due to COVID so its been pretty tough, Im about ready for 2020 to be over
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like it.
> 
> Love Squiggle

God Mickey was tired. He was laying on the couch in the mid-afternoon, his arm over his face with the crook of his elbow covering his eyes. After long days of working his day job, it took it out of him. Mickey worked for a security company updating and installing systems for businesses and homes while also working some night as hired security for parties and events. He was surprised when he got the job given his record but the boss shrugged and said 'who would know their way around a security system better than an ex-con?' Mickey just laughed and couldn't agree more.

His fatigue continued with the load of general household bullshit, who knew doing the bare minimum of cooking and cleaning could still take so long? Also looking after his 14-month-old son took it out of him, he loved the kid but he missed the days of Yevgeny being a newborn where he could lay him on his mat in the lounge room and he would contently play with his toys. Now he was up and moving, yelling and screaming doing everything a normal toddler would do.

Mickey closed his eyes in vain of resting but all hope was lost when Yev came toddling into the room, babbling to himself. The brunette sighed, wondering where his husband was, and if he should just dump the kid with him and hit the hay in his bedroom.

"Book," Yevgeny said, slapping at Mickey's arm with a picture book in his hand.

"Na, little man, maybe later," Mickey said, smiling at his son as he walked off. Mickey yawned and closed his eyes, a frustrated sigh escaping as he heard the little boy playing with some loud thing that sung repetitive musical crap. After the third time it began to play, Mickey pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Yev?" The little boy looked over at his father curiously, a block precariously hanging from his mouth. "Where's Ian? Why don't you go annoy him huh?"

"Da!" Yev smiled, walking bow leggily towards his father.

"No, other dad," Mickey said, turning the kid around towards the door.

"Da!" Yev grinned, trying to climb onto the couch.

"Alright but we are sleeping, got it?" Mickey said sternly, helping his son onto the couch. Mickey settled him down beside him, wrapped an arm around him, and closed his eyes again. The peace lasted roughly thirty seconds before the brunette felt a tiny finger stab him in the cheek. Peeking one eye open, Yev was looking at him curiously poking his face and touching his hair.

"Ian!"

No response.

"Ian!"

Nothing.

"Jesus Christ, Ian!" Mickey yelled, Yev laughing at him which did nothing to calm him down.

"What?" Ian snapped, footsteps loudly pounding down the hallway before he appeared in the doorway wearing nothing but a towel.

"Take the kid," Mickey told, dodging Yev's probing fingers.

"I'm a little busy," Ian said, gesturing to his half-naked form.

"I don't care, he's bugging the shit outta me," Mickey grumbled, placing his son on the floor again, watching as he walked over to his giant pile of toys.

"We'll deal with it, I've been doing it all day," Ian snapped, "I want five minutes to myself to take a shower since you're finally home."

"I've been at work!" Mickey told, great now they were arguing. "is it too much to ask to sit down and relax after coming home from working all day?"

"He's your son, give him some attention, you know something more than your father ever did with you," Ian sneered. Mickey glared at him with fire in his eyes, it was a low fucking blow but when you fight with people you love they know exactly where to hit hard. Ian stomped from the room and Mickey gave the middle finger to his retreating figure.

To get some peace, Mickey turned the tv on, putting on some kids' crap with bright colours and repetitive music that the kid seemed to like. Once he was sure Yevgeny was entranced by the show, he laid back on the couch and closed his eyes again.

He was just so bone tired, that utterly exhausted with dealing with all aspects of life. A lot had changed for Ian and Mickey in the last 12 months, Svetlana had come out of the woodwork with Yevgeny, claiming she was starting a new life with some rich, close to death old viagriod in LA and he didn't want any reminders of her past life around him. The money-hungry whole Mickey knew she was, signed away her parental rights to Mickey with a nice little cheque for his troubles, and that had been the last they had seen of her.

The couple had used the money to move out of the Gallagher house and into a fairly decent two-bedroom house about ten minutes down the road, closer to both their jobs and in a nicer part of town but still close enough to be involved in the family's drama, too involved if you asked Mickey. It had been difficult, looking for a house, moving into said house, looking after an infant, working a legit job for the first time in his life, and putting effort into his relationship which was still weird to him, so excuse him if he needed some extra sleep every now and then.

As he felt himself starting to doze, a loud crash woke him with a jolt. Mickey looked across the room to see Yev standing in front of his toy box, the box now upended as he crawled inside seeming to be looking for a specific toy.

"Yev, what the fuck," Mickey groused, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. His complaint seemed to fall on deaf ears as Yev continued to search in the toy box, throwing blocks and books all over the floor as he searched on.

"Yev, stop!" Mickey snapped, sitting on the edge of the couch glaring at his son, he was not in the mood to deal with this shit. The blonde little boy glanced over his shoulder before turning back, making excited noises as he kicked at his toys near his feet.

"Alright, cut it out," having enough of the noise and mess, Mickey walked towards his son and grabbed him out of the toy box and standing him upright in front of him much to the blonde's protests. "I said stop," Mickey told firmly, ignoring the rage building within himself as Yev continued to squirm in his hold. As he was about to continue his speech with Yev the toddler began to grizzle and bent down and bit his father's arm.

"Ow, you little fucker," Mickey hissed, without even thinking he pushed the little boy out of his grasp and curled his hand into a fist. Only before he was about to strike, he realised what _the fuck_ he was doing, he looked at his son, sitting in a heap on the floor from where Mickey had pushed him down, tears streaming down his face looking terrified at his father.

Getting up, Mickey raced out the back door slamming it behind him, Yevgeny crying, scared and alone on the loungeroom floor.

* * *

Mickey was halfway through his third cigarette when Ian found him in the backyard, more pale than normal and a look on his face he couldn't quite recognise.

"What the hell is going on?" Ian asked as he slowly approached the other man, "I got out of the shower and the lounge room is a mess, Yev is crying his eyes out alone and I can't find you anywhere. What happened?"

"I can't do this kid thing anymore," Mickey explained, sucking down the remains of his cigarette before throwing it to the ground and stubbing it out with his toe. "we should call Svetlana, see if she'll take him back, where is he?"

"He tired himself out and fell asleep," Ian said, slowly approaching the other man, "call Svet? Why would you wanna do that? What the hell happened?"

Sighing in defeat, Mickey sat down on the porch step, wishing he had brought a bottle of something with him but he settled for sparking up another cigarette instead. Ian tentatively sat down next to the other man looking at him with apprehension, Mickey rubbed his lip nervously and looked anywhere but Ian's eyes.

"The kid was bugging me, Ian, I told you that much," Mickey said with such sadness it sounded peculiar to Ian's ears. "I just wanted some sleep, I'm so fucking tired. He was just so loud and kept making noise and I had had enough; he trashed the room and I grabbed him. He was squirming and I just wanted him to stop! I tried to make him be still and he bit me before I knew what I was doing I was pulling my fist back…"

"You hit him?"

"God no," Mickey said aghast, breathing in the usually calming taste of nicotine, it was doing nothing to help him now. Mickey looked over at the redhead who remained silent, "say something."

"I'm processing," Ian said slowly, taking the cigarette from his partner's hand and taking a long slow drag himself.

"I never wanted kids," Mickey said truthfully, the silence too loud for him. "I never wanted a kid to go through all the shitty things I did. We had nothing as kids, I'm not even talking about money, not that we had that. Even basic human rights, ya know, shit that they give you in the joint? Food, water, shelter, a place to sleep? Food was scarce, even when we did Terry would come by and take it for himself the selfish fucking prick, sometimes we wouldn't have power or the water would be shut off for days or weeks. When Terry's friends were in town and he would want them to stay he would kick us out on the street so they could have our rooms, I got good at finding places to sleep on the street."

"That's terrible."

"It is what it is," Mickey shrugged, "so when Yev happened, I was fucking terrified. I'm trying so hard to do my best for this kid but today just took me back. That terrified look in Yev's eyes? I never wanna see it again. I felt like a monster, I'm no better than fucking Terry."

"Alright enough," Ian snapped, placing his hand on Mickey's chin to look him in the eyes. "I don't want to hear you say that ever again. You are nothing like that man"

"I don't know man," Mickey said, his eyes downcast, "it's hard not to feel that way. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree or some bullshit."

"Mickey," Ian said sternly. "I'm not happy what went down in there but if you were really like Terry? I don't want to imagine what would have happened to Yev. Sure, the kid can be a pain in the ass sometimes but you have to know that deep down, you can honestly say you would never lay a hand on him?"

"No."

"Make him run drugs like Terry made you and your cousins?"

"No."

"You would never hold him at gunpoint if you found him with another man?"

"Well, that would be a bit hypocritical," Mickey muttered, and Ian socked him in the shoulder.

"You have to see Mickey; you are nothing like him. You are related by blood but there is nothing else that tethers you. I'm so proud of everything you do for Yev."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Ian expressed, pressing a kiss to the other man's temple. They stayed that way for a few moments until the sounds of little toddler cries broke through the air. Ian pulled away and made his way into the house shortly returning with a bleary-eyed Yevgeny, resting his head sleepily against the redhead's chest. Mickey was unsure of how to approach the situation, uncertain of how his son would perceive him, would he see him as plain old Mickey or the horrible monster that he felt he was?

Slowly the toddler became more awake, Ian took up residence on the step next to the other man as the little boy babbled to himself. Yev looked around, taking in his surroundings before his eyes landed on Mickey. The brunette waited, wondering what his reaction would be.

"Da!" Yev greeted excitedly, extending his arms out towards his father. Mickey eagerly met him, taking him and cuddling him to his chest.

"Hey little man, sleep well?" Mickey asked. Yev squirmed in his lap, climbing off his knee before taking his father's hand and pulling him towards his toys in the backyard, which Mickey happily followed.

* * *

Ian sat on the steps, a sense of pride washing over him as he watched his boys. He knew their new path in life was something neither of them had planned or ever foresaw for themselves but seeing the look on Mickey's face as he played with his son, covered in mud and wearing that gleeful, soft expression that only a select few ever got to witness. He knew that they had made the best choice in life.

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is!
> 
> I have another story half-written which involves Mickey and Cole (Ian's tinder date!) so keep an eye out for that


End file.
